St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-09

life-away back as far back as can remeln-
Der anything-when the sole ambition of my
life was to grow up and be stage
driver. To my youthful fancy the proudest
station in all this world was to sit on the box
of the stage coach as it Numbered along, the
monarch of the road. IL had been given
my choice would rather have been up there
driving four-in-hand than to have worn the
richest crown of Europe.
~m%
''Then there was q sociability about stage
travelling that we don't find in these days of
railroading. A half a dozen, or perhaps
dozen, and sometimes more, people got into
stage coach and on top of 1t and started out
for days Journey. 1t was democratic
community. There were no caste distinc
lions between travellers in those days.
case OF cigars was common property and we
all drank out of the same flagon. Everybody
was in good humor and all bent on enjoying
the ride. There were no newsboys yelling
through the coach every five minutes, nor
peanut vendors, nor the nuisance Of tipping
sleeping car porters. We were not limited to
fifteen minutes to dinner, with the chances
of getting left at the end of ten minutes. We
had good square hour for dinner and ample
time to enjoy the fried chicken and ham and
eggs and fresh milk and good butter-pure
and sweet as the clover blossoms. All of
which has passed away with the decay of the
old country tavern.
Somehow imagine that the car driver
out there is a stage driver. He doesn't wind
horn and split the air with the cracker of
his whip as he touches up the front Off horse,
but he is the best substitute 1 can find for
thn aid
that he has a good deal of the same
philosophy about HIM. If he can get pas
senger to ride on the front platform with him
and discuss the probabilities of European
war he seems to be perfectly happy. He has
the old stage driver way of being on intimate
terms with his mules. He punches tina: off
mule there with the car broom in way to
assure me that he is a get there all the same
phoenix which has sprung from the ashes of
the fiery stage driver.
~
"And you will observe the car driver is
student. He studies all the time. He is
studying human nature. And the knowledge
he has acquired leaks cut through his skin.
Just by looking at q passenger he can tell
how many times the passenger will ring be-
fore getting mad. He can size up the anna
bility of q female to the exact standard. He
knows whether it is safe or not to start the
mule just as woman has turned around from
dropping her fare in the box. He knows to a
niecety just how tough child is, and never
fails TO suddenly put on the brakes just as
the little ones ma has told it to get change
from the driver. If he is going up hill or
comes to a rough place in the road, he is sure
to urge the mules into gallop. Yes, sir.
there is so much in riding in horse car remi-
niscent of my boyhood days when stage
coaches were all the go. love to ride in one
| You don't blame me, Go your"
~
| By this time the old settler had reached the
| point where the University car line left lyle
hart street and ne arose to get out. IF
hadn't rung suppose you would have driven
| me past where | wanted to get off, he
| growled at the driver as he started out.
That would replied the driver. 'If had
been a mind reader, sir, wouldn't be driving
| street cars for living"
~
The Chicago theatrical managers needn't
make wry faces over the interstate COM
MERGE law. They are only taking a dose of
! their own medicine. They abolished the free
pass system long before congress tackled it.
~
The announcement of Mr.. BLAINEs ex-
| IRENE illness will be startling news to the
country Death has been making sad havoc
| among the prominent men of the nation
within the past year. Mr.. BLAINE is at an age
when his tenure on life is brittle and he is
known to have been in failing health for
some time now, although an effort has been
made to keep the fact from the public.
1